NEW YORK -- The 30-year history of the New York Liberty has featured twists and turns, heartache and highs and, at times, even down-right irrelevance. But with the arrival of autumn comes playoff basketball in Brooklyn and, ideally, a championship.

"You can feel it in the building. You can feel it on the streets outside of Barclays," first-year Liberty coach Chris De Marco said Monday. "It's a passionate fanbase, and the standard has been winning."

Four hours later, the Liberty walked off their home court with a 95-84 loss, the result officially knocking them out of contention for a top-four seed. To win a championship, they'll have to do it the hard way. Between returning their big three and signing Satou Sabally in free agency, the Liberty were considered championship contenders entering the season. Yet a roller-coaster season has put into question whether that will be the case. Between a rash of injuries, inconsistent play and a 13-12 start that Breanna Stewart described as a "what the f---" moment, the Liberty's performance has evoked questions.

"We know this team has been through a lot," Stewart said, "but we have a lot of fight left in us."